This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 391 Western Chu Has Its Own National Conditions
The three families of the Heavenly Sect also have cultivators of the Original Mind Path!
Upon hearing what Xiang Yuan said, everyone in the room was extremely curious. However, since they were all people of status, they did not show their curiosity. They sat upright, their expressions indifferent, and they did not seem to be moved by external things.

For example, at the Kang Prince's Mansion, Xiao Jia found an unexpected bonus. Even as a runner-up, he found something entertaining and exclaimed that the trip was worthwhile.

Take, for example, the Prince Jing's Mansion. They watched with curiosity and amusement as the Prince Zhao's Mansion and the Prince Le's Mansion fought like dogs, hoping that when they couldn't agree on something, the dogs would get their brains knocked out.

The three families of Tianzong, Dajue Temple, and Huangquandao fought each other, and Zhaowang Xiao Yan and Lewang Xiao Lei died suddenly. Jingwang Xiao Ning ascended the throne. How pleasant it sounds!

Fast forward to the scene of rivers of blood!
Compared to the Kangwang Mansion and Jingwang Mansion, who were always eager to watch the drama unfold, Xiao Feng and his three companions, representing the Xiao clan, were in a terrible mood and could only think, "Aren't there too many Northern Qi cultivators in Western Chu?"
Where do so many original principles come from?

Having already embraced the Way of the Heart, why not cultivate in Northern Qi instead of running off to Western Chu?

Tell me, your original sect is the mastermind behind the plot to overthrow the world!

The person in the worst mood was definitely not Xiao Yan, who was surrounded by Northern Qi cultivators, but Ji Boli, whose identity was about to be exposed.

He dared not continue to play dead and hurriedly transmitted his voice to a distant place: "Junior brother, do not make a fuss. This matter has nothing to do with me. You know me, we are in the same boat. I will never reveal your background."

Bah! Who else could it be but you!
Xiang Yuan glared fiercely at Ji Boli, then said respectfully, "Senior Brother Tongming, you have been infiltrating the three families of Tianzong for many years. Through a marriage alliance with the Zhaowang Mansion, you successfully separated Tianwu Sect from the three families of Tianzong. You have suffered injustices all these years."

"..."xN
That one short sentence silenced the room, and everyone, in their astonishment, imagined a whole drama unfolding before their eyes.

The revelation was too shocking, and Ji Boli immediately lost his composure. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up, angrily saying, "Xiang Wentian, stop spreading rumors here! I am the head of the Ji family, one of the Seven Lineages of Tianwu. Who in the world doesn't know that? How dare you frame me and use such foul language!"

"..."xN
He didn't insult you!
Everyone was puzzled, not quite understanding, wondering how it had become a swear word.

"Fine, you say you're not following the true path, then swear an oath!"

"Send it then."

"Bah! You have not told a single truth in your hearts. I do not believe a single word of the oaths you have made."

"You're so aloof, so amazing, you... you're such a 'true path'!"

"You're still swearing!"

Xiang Yuan and Ji Boli slammed their fists on the table and pounded on the benches, their eyes red with anger. They hurled vulgar insults at each other's superiors.

For some reason, the more I curse, the more energetic I become!
Since no one stopped them, the two exchanged blows for the length of an incense stick. In the end, Ji Boli, whose kidneys were weak and who had been ambushed by villains, was the first to fall.

Judging from their behavior, it's clear they're practically identical. They're undoubtedly fellow disciples. Xiang Yuan is a cultivator of the Northern Qi's Benxin Dao, as is Ji Boli. The Zhaowang Mansion has foreign support, and so does the Lewang Mansion; neither of them are good people.

At the Xiao clan's seats, Xiao Feng and the other three stared at each other, exchanging glances, and finally came to a conclusion.

Emperor Liu Che of Northern Qi plotted to seize the throne of Western Chu. He arranged for two of his senior brothers to become spies and for his own son to secretly support two princes!

That's it, no doubt about it.

As for revealing each other's secrets before the mission is accomplished...

Well, cultivation of immortality might not be like this, but similar situations are common in the imperial court, so there's nothing strange about it.

Xiang Yuan defeated Ji Boli and gave the other's master a thorough dressing-down. He felt great, even happier than if he had eaten a ginseng fruit. He sat down happily, feeling that his life had been worthwhile.

Some were happy while others were sad. Ji Boli, perhaps because he hadn't won the argument or hadn't had enough of it, angrily sat back down in his original seat.

Seeing the two grandmasters beside him staring at him in astonishment, Ji Boli said irritably, "What are you looking at? I told you I shouldn't have come today, but you insisted on inviting me. Now look what's happened, the Le Prince's Mansion has the support of foreign forces, the evidence is irrefutable, there's no way to deny it."

"Patriarch Ji, don't talk nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lei, the King of Music, became anxious, as did the two grandmasters, who kept giving him meaningful glances, urging him to quickly offer a defense.

The two grandmasters came from the Heavenly Sword Pavilion and the Heavenly Blade Sect, respectively. One was the Nirvana Sword Master, a grandmaster of the Wei Clan, one of the five lineages of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and the other was Liu Pojun, a grandmaster of the Liu Clan, one of the six lineages of the Heavenly Blade Sect.

The two never expected that there was a spy among them, and that Ji Boli was actually a cultivator of the Northern Qi's Benxin Dao.

They really hid it well!
There are priorities, and now is not the time to investigate Ji Boli's character. The most urgent task is to prove the innocence of Prince Xiao Lei. Regardless of whether Ji Boli is a cultivator of the Northern Qi's Benxin Dao, he cannot be one at this moment.

Please, just say a few words, and tell everyone that you're not the one who truly believes in the Way.

Ji Boli snorted coldly twice, slumped in his chair, and said nothing more as if he were giving up. At the same time, he glared fiercely at Xiang Yuan and transmitted his voice through gritted teeth: "You brat, I told you, your original intention was that the exposure of my identity had nothing to do with me. Why did you have to implicate me in this dog-eat-dog fight?"

"Senior brother is still making excuses!"

Xiang Yuan was even more dissatisfied and retorted directly: "I have always felt inferior because of my identity as a cultivator of the Original Heart Path. I don't even dare to speak loudly to others when I travel around the world. But you, for the benefit of the Ji family, betrayed your brother and exposed my identity. How can I face anyone in the future!"

"You feel ashamed? I feel ashamed too!"

Ji Boli's eyes blazed with fury: "As the head of the Ji family, representing one of the Seven Lineages of Tianwu, I have suddenly become the successor of the Original Heart Path. How can I face my clansmen again? With the hearts of the people scattered, how can I continue to be the head of the family?"

"That's your own fault."

"I told you, I didn't snitch!"

"Who else could it be if not you?"

Xiang Yuan laughed angrily: "How many people in the world know my true origins? How many know that Liu Che is my junior brother? And you say you're innocent? You shameless scoundrel, you really are a scoundrel!"

"You bastard, don't you ever doubt your master?"

"..."

Xiang Yuan fell silent upon hearing this; the thought-provoking question left him momentarily speechless.

Believe it or not, it's not only possible, it's highly likely.

But if it really was the work of the dim-witted old Taoist priest, the situation on the field would change drastically. Instead of Ji Boli being unrighteous first and Xiang Wentian being unjust later, it would become Xiang Wentian being enraged and dragging Ji Boli down with him.

No, we cannot compromise our moral high ground. If we say anything today, it is because Gibran was unrighteous first.

He started it!

"Hey, you surnamed Xiang, say something!"

"Shut up! You betrayed your junior brother and now you've framed your master! You're disloyal, unjust, unfilial, and heartless! I will definitely report this to your master and have him pierce your kidney!" Xiang Yuan said righteously.

"Last time, you were the one who spoke ill of me in front of Master!"

Ji Boli suddenly raised his hand to support his waist, his face contorted, his teeth almost grinding to powder.

"Hehe, I was just repeating what my senior brother said verbatim."

"You think you're the only one who can repeat what you said? I remember everything you just said to Master!"

"I remember all the things you said. At worst, we'll both get poked in the back. Whoever backs down first is a coward!" Xiang Yuan showed no fear. He was a physical education student who practiced the Formless Seal Technique, with a physique of family heirloom quality. He wasn't some empty middle-aged man who had given up on everything.

Xiang Yuan and Ji Boli exchanged heated opinions. Although they did not directly attack each other personally, they all cursed each other's masters, which caused the atmosphere in the room to change drastically. What was supposed to be a nice meeting immediately turned into a vegetable market in a bustling city.

What's most absurd is that, due to the mutual attacks, the Zhao Prince's Mansion became a puppet supported by the Northern Qi, while the Le Prince's Mansion fared even worse. Not only did it have the support of the Northern Qi from abroad, but it also had three rogue families within the country backing it up. In this competition of who was worse, it became the least qualified to claim the title of emperor.

Xiao Lei: "..."

What happened to the promise that this round was a sure thing? How come I can't even beat Xiao Jia, who's just there to make up the numbers?
Indeed, from the perspective of the Xiao clan, Xiao Jia, who is honest and doesn't talk much, is the one everyone hopes to have.

It's not that Xiao Jia is particularly outstanding, but rather that everyone else is rotten while he is mediocre and has no outstanding flaws, which immediately makes him appear exceptionally wise and capable, like a wise ruler.

At this time, in the minds of Xiao Feng and the other three, Xiao Jia was firmly in first place, far ahead of Xiao Ning in second place, while Xiao Yan in third place and Xiao Lei in fourth place were completely out of the picture.

To give an example, Xiao Jia is closest to the finish line, while Xiao Ning, because he shares the same views as the old emperor, has too many flaws and stands motionless at the starting line. Xiao Yan and Xiao Lei, whose qualities are questionable, start in the opposite direction as soon as the starting gun fires, falling back a hundred meters.

The Western Chu Kingdom has its own unique circumstances. An IQ of 140 cannot suppress the goofy genes in the Xiao family bloodline. Even when the throne is involved, it is difficult to be serious.

Xiao Jiaren was completely numb.

I laughed so hard.

His wildly upturned lips contrasted sharply with the dark faces of Xiao Yan, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Lei.

Heaven have mercy, he really came here today just to be a runner-up, but who could have predicted, even he himself didn't expect, that his competitors were surrounded by such incompetent teammates, who actually propelled him to the front.

Who says you can't win by lying down?
Anyone who dares to say that again, I'll grant them a nine-generation family banishment! (Image: Joy.JPG)
The meeting, where everyone was revealing each other's secrets, had escalated to the point where it was practically a table-flipping affair. Continuing was out of the question. Xiao Feng and the other three expressed their concern with serious expressions, saying, "That's all for today. Please return to your residences for now, and do not linger in the capital for the time being."

After saying this, the four men picked up their buckets and ran back to their clan to gather the clan members for discussion.

The four princes returned to their respective homes, each with their own thoughts on the matter.

In the Kangwang Mansion, Xiao Jia had tasted the sweetness of slacking off and was preparing to cultivate this path further, waiting for the other three princes to continue their open and covert struggles, and finally put him on the throne.

In the Zhaowang Mansion, Xiao Yan was also preparing to start to slack off.

He has to be involved; his political credentials are questionable.

To his left was Xiang Yuan, Liu Che's senior brother and a cultivator of the Northern Qi's Benxin Dao. To his right was even more formidable: Liu Che's own son. He was surrounded by Northern Qi from every angle, so he had no chance of sitting on the throne. What else was there to think about?

It's impossible for her to become an imperial concubine; she'll be lucky to even maintain her status as a princess.

Take, for example, the Jingwang Mansion. Xiao Ning, Bai Yun, and the two grandmasters from Wangjian Villa discussed it and concluded that Xiao Jia had no grandmasters behind him. He was just a nobody, destined to be a runner-up. Even if he came in first, he was not to be feared.

The key is Xiao Yan and Xiao Lei, both of whom have top-notch support behind them. They can easily pull out seven or eight grandmasters, and all of them are of extremely high quality.

If these two don't become emperors, they'll definitely flip the table.

Before they can overturn the table, they must start with public opinion and let the world know what kind of people these two princes really are.

With the three rogue groups of Tianzong and the foreign forces of Northern Qi behind him, once he becomes emperor, Western Chu will never have peace again. Internally, the people will suffer, and externally, he will cede territory and pay reparations. He is truly a tyrant of the underworld.

Xiao Yan was no better; he betrayed his country and colluded with the enemy, and the political arena of Western Chu was filled with villains. When he became emperor, it was equivalent to Liu Che overseeing Western Chu, and he became the retired emperor of Western Chu.

Manipulating public opinion is not difficult for the Jingwang Mansion. Not to mention that Xiao Ning is the largest imperial merchant in Western Chu with connections all over the region, the Baiyun and Wangjian families started out in business and have shops all over Western Chu. With these three forces combined, Xiang Wentian's name will be known throughout the world by tomorrow or tonight.

Xiang Yuan, whose Taoist name is "Wen Tian" and nickname is "Tian Wang Lao Zi", is a master of the Tong You stage. He comes from the Benxin Dao of Northern Qi, is the Left Envoy of the Huangquan Dao of Southern Xinjiang, and a member of the Liu clan. He is so close to Emperor Liu Che of Northern Qi that they are practically inseparable.

Digging deeper, he also revealed his identities as a disciple of Ji Wuzhou of the Heavenly Blade Sect and the husband of two princesses of the Zhao Prince's Mansion.

Furthermore, as a member of the Liu clan, he once defeated three masters of Western Chu on the border between the two countries, leaving behind the famous line, "Why need light green and pale red, it is naturally the first-class among flowers."

It's easy to imagine that with the vigorous promotion from Baiyun and Wangjian Manor, Xiang Yuan's true colors would soon be known to everyone.

Well, Kenshinzai should receive the news tonight!
We'll talk about tonight's events later; let's focus on the present.

Seeing that Xiang Yuan was about to leave, Ji Boli was unwilling to let him go. He thought to himself that he was unlucky and that he had to frame an innocent person and drag the innocent into the mess. He would not leave until he made things clear.

Xiang Yuan noticed Ji Boli's piercing gaze. Because Ji Boli insisted that his senior brother had acted immorally first and firmly occupied the moral high ground, Xiang Yuan remained calm and gave Ling Xiu a look.

Nephew, your uncle is going to interact with your other uncle. You go ahead and protect your godfather. If even a single hair on his head is missing, you will be held responsible.

Lingxiu is a bald monk who has experienced many storms. Whether it was Northern Qi or Western Chu, he has seen all kinds of ghost stories. But today's meeting is truly an eye-opener.

As he was spraying, an unexpected uncle suddenly appeared.

Fortunately, he had already become a monk, so there was no uncle present, only benefactors; otherwise, he would have had to accept a gift upon meeting him.

Lingxiu used her spatial teleportation ability to lead Xiao Yan and the other three ahead of them. Xiang Yuan calmly got up and teleported to the outskirts of the capital.

Ji Boli, following the spatial fluctuations, chased after the departing object, leaving Xiao Lei, the Prince of Music, somewhat at a loss.

Nirvana Sword Master and Liu Pojun exchanged a glance, both somewhat bewildered. The accusation of treason had come too suddenly. They needed to quickly return and discuss how to proceed.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The outskirts of the capital.

Xiang Yuan stood atop the mountain, one hand behind his back. He saw Ji Boli approaching with red eyes and pointing at Cheng Jian, shouting, "Tongming, you betrayed your junior brother and framed your master. What is your crime? If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I, Xiang, will represent Benxin Dao to cleanse the sect!"

"He~~tui!"

Ji Boli spat out a mouthful of saliva and said angrily, "You surnamed Xiang, I have already said that I did not inform on you, nor would I inform on you. Don't you know what kind of people we, Benxindao, are? If I expose your identity, you will take revenge immediately without delay. I would be crazy to spread the identity of your Benxindao!"

What you say makes sense, but if you don't admit your guilt, then Xiang becomes an unreasonable troublemaker.

As the senior student, what's wrong with taking on more responsibility? If you dare to bark and howl again, I'll beat you into a hard drive senior today!

It's impossible for Xiang Yuan to become Ji Boli's senior brother, but he really dared to confront Ji Boli's kidneys. Back then, he stood in front of Ji's mansion like a lackey, queuing for an hour. He still remembers it clearly.

He's already reached the realm of the dead; he must get his revenge for this injustice.

Ji Boli cursed the scoundrel: "You idiot exposed your identity and then dragged me down with you. I've tolerated you bunch of scoundrels for a long time."

"Hmph, let's not even talk about whether it was said by Master Que Xin."

Xiang Yuan clasped his hands together, looked towards the direction of Northern Qi with reverence, and first said that he could never repay the kindness of his master. Then he continued, "Even if what Master Que Xin said is true, that the son should pay for the father's debts, what's wrong with you, as the eldest brother, taking some responsibility for your master?"

"Shameless!"

Ji Boli's expression changed drastically. He clasped his hands in a deep salute, then prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "It is true that I am the senior brother, but don't forget that you are the junior brother. You also have a share in the responsibility for our master. Why don't you take responsibility yourself? Tell me, are you planning a rebellion and harboring thoughts of killing your master?"

"Oh, you shameless bastard, you just spout nonsense."

Xiang Yuan knelt down with a thud, kowtowed in the direction of Northern Qi, pointed his fingers like a sword at Ji Boli, and said in a sorrowful voice, "Master, there are bad people in our Benxin Dao!"

Shameless scoundrel, if you've got the guts, stand up and say something! x2
Xiang Yuan was annoyed that his identity had been exposed and that he would have to carry the infamy of the Benxindao sect as he walked the world from now on. Ji Boli was even more wronged than him, suffering an undeserved disaster and making the entire Ji family look bad to everyone.

The two exchanged a glance, and both saw anger in each other's eyes.

If we don't fight, things won't go smoothly, and it'll be hard to end this today!
You've already fallen for it! x2
That old geezer is definitely waiting to see what happens! x2
The anger in Xiang Yuan's eyes quickly dissipated, as did that of Ji Boli. Because Benxindao did not act like a human being in daily life, the two of them were so mature that it was heartbreaking.

The two sat cross-legged on the ground, each staring wide-eyed.

"Junior brother, whether you admit it or not, I know you know that it wasn't me who exposed your identity, but that you were the one who acted unjustly!"

"Laughable! If you didn't do it, why were you so hesitant? You didn't even dare to look me in the eye at the beginning!"

"Can't you see my back hurts? Don't you have any idea why my back hurts?"

"Hmph, you're such a womanizer, you clearly don't know your own limitations."

The two grew increasingly angry as they talked, rolling up their sleeves and exchanging barbs from a distance, but neither of them actually laid a hand on the other.

Even if I've suffered a grievance today, I won't let that old geezer see me having fun! x2
After a moment, Xiang Yuan pursed his dry lips and said irritably, "What's wrong with the three families of Tianzong? We agreed to deal with Tianjian Pavilion together. For this, I compromised and got engaged to the two princesses of Zhaowang Mansion. But you, as soon as I got my pants up, you turned your back on me."

You're clearly enjoying it!
Ji Boli stared with dead fish eyes: "This has nothing to do with me. Blame your master."

"What's wrong with the heartless master again?"

Xiang Yuan cursed the scumbags in his heart. How could there be such a bunch of idiots everywhere? How could he possibly live like this?

"Your other master is Ji Wuzhou of the Heavenly Blade Sect."

Ji Boli sneered, "Your master is already the sect leader of the Heavenly Blade Sect. He forcibly integrated the Heavenly Sword Pavilion and the Heavenly Martial Sect. Although he has not officially recognized them, it won't be long before he becomes the true sect leader of the Heavenly Blade Sect."

"Such a thing is true..."

Xiang Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he pointed at himself, saying, "Am I going to become the young sect master of the Heavenly Sect?"

No, you're focusing on the wrong thing!
Ji Boli rolled his eyes speechlessly and said irritably, "Wake up, stop dreaming. You're just a nominal disciple. What relationship do you have with the young sect master? Liu Pojun of the Heavenly Blade Sect exposed your identity on the spot and didn't treat you as one of his own at all. This shows that this matter was instructed by Ji Wuzhou. You have no place in the latter's heart."

Xiang Yuan remained silent upon hearing this; the master of the broken sampan didn't seem to care much for him.

To be more precise, I'm quite disgusted by it.

but……

Xiang Yuan frowned and glanced at Ji Boli: "Senior brother, just say what you have to say. Does the integration of the Heavenly Sect affect your Ji family's ability to profit from others?"

"No, I was just thinking that when Master Que Xin revealed your identity to Ji Wuzhou, the latter showed no mercy and even caused my identity to be exposed..."

Something seems off! x2
This isn't the kind of tactic the righteous path uses to harm its own people. x2
(End of this chapter)